Over the next 8 Wednesdays, we’ll discuss the 7 different breed groups along with what AKC calls their misc and foundation stock categories. We’ll chat about what these individual breed groups' original jobs were along with how those original intended purposes affect many of these breeds in their modern day lives. Please, remember that not all dogs follow the manual, and this information is for educational purposes only.

• Breed Group: Working Group
• Original Purpose: Working dogs were bred for a variety of purposes, all to assist man. Some were bred to pull sleds or perform snow or water rescues while some were bred to protect life, property, or livestock (this is a different task than herding livestock).
• Modern Day Dogs: A few of these modern day dogs, mostly the livestock guardian dogs, are still used for their originally intended purposes. Almost all of these dogs are very large and very heavy with strong wills, stable and even temperaments, and a protective instinct. They were all bred to work, and they generally maintain that high work drive. These dogs need to be kept busy with something to do. They often become overly protective and destructive when bored.
• Training: While some of these breeds do make excellent family pets, many of these dogs retain their original working instincts and need to be in homes where they can perform a job, preferably one similar to their original intended purposes. Due to their size and often formiddable temperaments, most of these breeds would not be suitable for a novice or first time owner. Because many of these dogs were bred to work side-by-side with humans, they are generally considered very trainable. Some, mostly the livestock guardian dogs like the Pyrenees and Kuvasz, would be an exception to this rule, due directly to the fact that these dogs’ jobs often had little or no human direction. Because of their size, it is easy to slip into harsher, punishment based methods. This is a mistake, however, as these dogs are often very sensitive and need to trust their handlers.
• Interesting Facts: All of these dogs are large, not just in height but also in musculature, the smallest in the group being the Standard Schnauzer and the German Pinscher. This group has some easily recognizable breeds like the Husky, Rottweiler, Boxer, and Doberman Pinscher as well as lesser known breeds like the Chinook, the Kuvasz, and the Lenoberger. Possibly the biggest surprise is the very large, very hairy Newfoundland that has been bred for generations as a spectacular water rescue dog. Many fans of the breed say that these dogs seem to know in advance when a swimmer is starting to get distressed and tired. The Akita is reveered in Japan as a national treasure. Some of these dogs, including the Dogue de Bordeaux, Boerboel, and Cane Corso, were relatively unknown outside their countries of origin until recently. Incidentally, all three of these breeds have the mostly commonly mispronounced breed names.